April 13, 2017

EP. 119 — Lauren Ober, Host of NPR’s The Big Listen

Lauren Ober hosts the only nationally syndicated public radio program about podcasts, “The Big Listen.” She joins Chris Bannon and Lex Friedman on The Wolf Den to tell how the show got started at WAMU and what it was like to get picked up by NPR. Lauren explains how she balances serving the different audiences which listen to the broadcast version of the show, compared to the podcast version. She also discusses the influence and growth of podcasting on public radio stations across the market, detailing the advantages the medium offers these stations. As an experienced journalist and producer who listens to many podcasts with a critical ear, Lauren offers her thoughts on what makes for a consistently engaging show, and how “The Big Listen” team selects the podcasts to feature on the program.

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February 13, 2019

Mignon “Grammar Girl” Fogarty joins Lex on the Wolf Den. The two talk about Mignon’s staggering 13 years in podcasting, and how she grew one show into the thriving Quick and Dirty Tips network. They also nerd out on language.

January 30, 2019

Renay Richardson chats with Lex from across the pond, detailing her experiences working for several audio production companies (but not the BBC!) — and how it led her to found Broccoli Content. With a goal of tackling the lack of opportunities for minority talent both in front and behind the mic, Renay shares insights on how the entire industry can better embrace diversity. Then, the two talk about company consolidation and whether mergers and acquisitions in the podcast world are ultimately good or bad for podcasters.

This episode is brought to you by On Deck Capital (www.ondeck.com/WOLFDEN).

January 16, 2019

Danielle Kramer, Senior Producer of Exactly Right Network joins Lex on The Wolf Den. The two discuss the network’s formation, and which aspects of My Favorite Murder its original shows hope to maintain. Danielle also discusses what led her to the podcasting, including time at NerdMelt and JASH. Plus, what exactly makes a good podcast translate to television?